The Simpsons

In its epic 25-year lifespan, The Simpsons has embraced music into its comedy for some potently hilarious moments. And while the show has welcomed many iconic musical guests to join its ranks of star cameos, we’re talking about the original music moments — the songs that were written for and performed by Springfield’s unique citizenry — that are absolutely unforgettable.

The Simpsons is officially no longer the edgiest animated series on television–and we’re not just talking about how the show pales in comparison to modern hits like Bob’s Burgers or Archer. It used to be that The Simpsons cracked jokes at anyone’s expense without issuing any sort of apology. Now, however, the show’s writers are apologizing to Judas Priest fans for erroneously referring to the band as “death metal” on a recent show.

No one likes Monday mornings. From Bob Geldof and his Boomtown Rats to Susannah Hoffs and her Bangles, more than a few musicians have made fortunes off of songs written about the universally acknowledged worst day of the week. Last night’s episode of The Simpsons began with Bart Simpson‘s alarm clock going off at 7 a.m., leading him to sigh and say “Ehhhh Monday, here we go again.”

What happened next, though, was an incredible example of how visuals and music can come together to make magic. Set to the strains of Hot Chip‘s wistful “And I Was A Boy From School,” off their 2006 LP The Warning (and the #29 song of the last decade according to Pitchfork), Bart is shown going through the motions of yet another in a seemingly endless (and endlessly repetitive) week at school, soaked in a melancholic haze: The ritualistic humiliation he’s forced to endure includes moments of him getting bullied by Nelson, getting spilled on by Milhouse, and getting bored on the bus. Of course, things would soon go on to change for him in the episode entitled “A Supposedly Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again” (h/t to David Foster Wallace, natch), but the 66 seconds that this scene takes to play out are 66 of the best seconds that we’ve seen on television so far this year.